‘Chatfishing’ rises as singles use AI to craft dating app messages

Singles are increasingly outsourcing their dating app conversations to AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, a trend that Bloomberg has dubbed "chatfishing" — building a text-based connection that doesn't match the person on the other end.youtube+1

The Rise of AI-Assisted Romance

According to Bloomberg's reporting published on July 20, more users on platforms including Tinder Match Group, Inc. ↘ 0.74%, Hinge, and Bumble ↘ 2.05% are turning to large language models to write, edit, or analyze their conversations with potential matches. Some use AI simply to polish a message or check their tone, while others upload entire conversations to better understand why an exchange fizzled. None of the major dating platforms are actively policing the practice.bloomberg+2

The phenomenon arrives as dating apps themselves race to integrate AI. Tinder announced AI-powered chemistry assessments earlier this year, while Bumble has rolled out AI-suggested profile guidance and photo feedback tools. Bumble also announced plans to move away from its signature swipe feature toward AI-driven matchmaking. Yet even as the companies build AI into their products, users are independently deploying it in ways the platforms did not anticipate.axios+2

A Broader Pattern of AI Inauthenticity

The chatfishing trend echoes concerns raised by actress Anne Hathaway in June, when she revealed that job candidates she had interviewed all sent her identical ChatGPT-generated thank-you notes. "Nobody on that list gets that job," Hathaway said, according to Fortune. She warned that relying on AI for such personal communication signals a lack of critical thinking and authenticity.fortune+1

The parallel is clear: whether in hiring or in dating, recipients are growing attuned to the telltale uniformity of AI-generated text. A Bloomberg Intelligence survey from 2025 found that Gen Z users already reported higher discomfort than millennials with using AI to draft dating profile prompts and message responses.bloomberg

An Unpoliced Gray Area

Unlike catfishing — where users misrepresent their identity with fake photos or fabricated personas — chatfishing occupies murkier territory. The person is real; the words are not entirely theirs. Dating platforms have invested in AI tools to detect scam accounts and fake profiles, such as Bumble's "Deception Detector", but none have announced measures to identify or restrict AI-generated messages between genuine users. As AI fluency becomes a default skill, the line between self-improvement and deception in digital romance remains undefined.foxbusiness+1